So he has to pay $ 24,700 although he stole more than $ 31,000, and I assume he still gets his $ 512,000 vacation payout. He retires with a few dollars less, no real fine, no jail time and despite whatever criminal record he now has, it doesn't matter because he's retiring anyway. Whoop de do. He got off so f---ing easy. I'm not sure what sickens me more - the fact that he stole from the housing authority and is not paying it all back, or his ridiculously large vacation payout.

Also, at every job I ever worked, you could not horde vacation days and then cash them out when you quit or retired, it was always a policy of "use it or lose it" with only a small portion of days that could get rolled over to the next year. Really, they don't need to cap vacation day payouts, they just need to change the policy on the number of days you can accumulate and roll over to the next year and be like most other employers. Such an easy answer, yet they can't seem to implement the policy.

TRENTON -- Phil Zacche, a Jersey City cop for 38 years who rose to the rank of police chief in 2014, admitted in federal court today to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the Jersey City Housing Authority.

Zacche, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds in the fifth-floor courtroom of U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson in Trenton this afternoon.

The charge comes with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a potential $250,000 fine. As part of Zacche's plea agreement, he agreed to forfeit $24,700.

Jersey City makes police promotions as chief readies to retire

On the eve of Police Chief Phil Zacche's final day leading the police force, 18 Jersey City police officers were promoted in a City Hall ceremony.

Zacche, who is retiring tomorrow after 38 years working for Jersey City, told the crowd assembled for yesterday's promotions that he will spend his retirement "doing a lot of babysitting."

"It's hard to believe it's been 38 years," Zacche said, "until I look in a mirror."Zacche made only brief remarks and appeared to do so only after Mayor Steve Fulop began the event by noting his upcoming retirement.

Yvonne wrote:I saw the video while Fulop might talk a good game about this payout being outrageous, he did nothing about it. The video did say towns have passed ordinances against this, so why didn't the mayor and city council do likewise?

fulop has his eyes set for drumthwacket, and even white house past that. he could care less about us.issue was discussed at last city council meeting.

I saw the video while Fulop might talk a good game about this payout being outrageous, he did nothing about it. The video did say towns have passed ordinances against this, so why didn't the mayor and city council do likewise?

State Sen. Jennifer Beck, R-Red Bank, issued a statement yesterday calling six-figure payouts like Zacche's "egregious." Zacche is retiring in June after more than 38 years. He has more than 450 unused comp and vacation days valued at $512,620.